Requiem
by xXPantheraXx
Summary: As Chaos ensues onto all of ThunderClan, Firestar has only one choice. He must find the killer and stop them before its too late. In these dark, bloody times, one cat will have to decide whether to stop this evil, or be taken over by it. Part 3 of 3.


**A/N: **So sorry I didn't post this yesterday, I had to add the final touches and added another POV. Well this is the third and final part of my Slaughter series, I hope you all enjoyed it! Thank you for the reviews, and please check this one out as well. Also I am updating Terra rather soon, so please read that and Age of Lost Souls. Currently I'm thinking about turning "Requiem" into a whole story, what do you guys think? Thanks! :)

~Leo~

* * *

**PART 3: REQUIEM**

Jayfeather stepped back into the cool Medicine Cat's den, as harsh rain began to spatter his pelt. From what he could tell the storm had only just begun, and it was one to remember.

It seemed as if the Medicine Cat apprentice was the only one taking shelter from the gale, he could hear immense arguing from the center of camp. Although it was as dark as midnight, Jayfeather could tell the sun was beginning to rise, he could smell it in the air.

"But your still out there" he whispered into the darkness, the killer was what caused all of this havoc.

He had no idea of who it could be, but whoever it was had a great hate for ThunderClan. Hearing the faint sound of pawsteps, Jayfeather wondered who was coming his way.

With no way to smell who was coming from the rain, Jayfeather un-sheathed his claws, just in case.

"It's like a battle out there" he recognized the voice of Lionblaze. Jayfeather should have known his brother would find him during this chaos, he probably expected him to have all the answers.

"What's going on" had someone else been murdered? If so, then none of them were safe.

"Well it started with Daisy accusing Spiderleg of killing Hazeltail, apparently he thought his kits were better than her first litters" Lionblaze began, stepping into the Medicine Cat den to get dry. "And then Berrynose and Cloudtail accused Purdy of being the killer, because he was the last one to join ThunderClan. And now Mousefur is threatening to attack anyone that accuses Purdy again, and I think she means it."

Had all of ThunderClan gone completely insane? Jayfeather had never expected any of this to happen, it was one thing after Ashfur's murder, but this was complete chaos.

"Is Firestar doing anything about it?".

"I don't think he can do anything about it" Lionblaze snorted while looking through the rain, "The clan would probably accuse him of being the killer if he tried to stop them."

Jayfeather sighed, this probably wouldn't have happened in the other clans, well expect maybe ThunderClan.

"I'm going to check on Icecloud" his brother meowed, "She was going to check on Poppyfrost and her kits, Plus it would probably make her feel better if they had a warrior around."

Jayfeather nodded, as his golden furred brother padded away into the tempest. Icecloud was expecting Lionblaze's kits, the two had only found out the previous sunrise. At least there would be more kits, a clan couldn't survive without kits.

_A clan couldn't survive without their Medicine Cat either. _Now that Jayfeather thought about it, where in StarClan's forsaken name, was Leafpool? She probably wandered off again to snooze by the lake, she was getting pretty old.

"I better go find her" he mumbled, Jayfeather wasn't afraid of this killer, he could probably find them before they found him.

"Let's go see where that crazy old badger went" Jayfeather prepared himself as he exited the warm cozy den, to search for his lost mentor. Already he could hear growling and hissing coming from a fox-length away, and the scent of blood was in the air.

_Oh no. _Had the killer struck again?

"She clawed my face!" a shriek came from Spiderleg, who was cowering away from a disgruntled Mousefur.

"Serves you right" she hissed back, "You should know better than anyone Spiderleg, to know that I wasn't lying." The black tom was Mousefur's last apprentice, apparently he inherited her sour attitude as well.

Detouring himself away from the fighting cats, Jayfeather made his way towards the thorn-tunnel. But he stopped immediately as a familiar scent drifted through the air. Jayfeather's blind eyes widened in pure shock, it couldn't be!

"But it is" he meowed in surprise, racing through the thorn tunnel as quick as a WindClan hare.

So much information to process was rushing through Jayfeather's brain. He tried to follow the scent as well, weaving through the trees with excellent precision.

"I have to hurry" he meowed to himself, picking up the speed.

But it was harder to run than usual, Jayfeather couldn't hear anything other than the sound of rain falling, and thunder crackling above his head. Thorns and brambles scraped his paws, but the apprentice didn't have time to feel any pain.

But than a peculiar scent drifted across Jayfeather's nose, it was the scent of WindClan, but blended in with blood. Sniffing through the hordes of rain, Jayfeather followed the strange scent, was a WindClan cat on ThunderClan territory?

Lightning crackled above once more, as Jayfeather fought with every muscle to run towards the scent. And then he stopped all at once, as the sound of fighting became noticeable.

It didn't really sound like fighting at all as Jayfeather listened closer, more like murder.

"Hey!" he growled, running towards the sound, "Is anyone there?".

What a stupid question! Of course someone was there! And then all at once, silence enveloped the forest, nothing other than the sound of falling rain could be heard. Padding forward, Jayfeather pawed at his nose, the stench of cat blood was overpowering.

And then yet another scent, it was what Jayfeather was afraid of.

"Hello brother" a meow came from Jayfeather's sister.

"Hollyleaf!" he exclaimed with pure surprise, "I...I knew you were alive!". All those moons of thinking, but not yet knowing if his sister was dead or alive, he finally found the truth.

"And I took care of our problem" she meowed with satisfaction, "It looks like we're orphans now."

At first the blind Medicine Cat didn't seem to understand what Hollyleaf was speaking about, but now that he stepped closer he did. The smell of his mother Leafpool wove through the air, she was dead.

"You...you killed her!?" he echoed in disbelief, backing away. "You killed our mother! My mentor!" how could she do such a thing?

"Don't act so hurt. You know what she did to us! The fact that we're even alive, that we were ever born, shattered the warrior code. But you know Jayfeather, I think I might just know how to bring it back to order. The cats of the forest need healing, they need rules."

Jayfeather looked down at his paws, emotion no longer clouding his judgment. Leafpool was now dead, and by the sound of it so was Crowfeather.

"You know what Hollyleaf" he sighed, raising his soaked head. "I think you may just be right."

* * *

Firestar looked on in utter horror, as Dustpelt through himself into Brackenfur. Apparently the golden-brown warrior accused Spiderleg of being the killer, and Dustpelt just wouldn't take it.

"Get off of him!" Sorreltail screeched, throwing herself into the senior warrior, as Ferncloud fought to help.

_What has happened to my clan? _

What ever happened to the days when everyone trusted each other, when there was no fighting except for other clans? As Firestar turned his head to see Briarpaw and Dovepaw fighting near the nursery, he realized what had to be done.

Rage boiling underneath his ginger fur, Firestar made a tremendous leap onto the Highrock, and yowled out loud.

"Stop this right now!" his voice echoed over the thunder, making every cat pause mid-swipe. "Look at yourselves!" he growled with fury, "Don't you see what's happening? Whoever is doing this, wants this to happen! He wants us to turn on each other. To know longer trust the ones who catch food, or guard our kits. And all of you are giving the murderer exactly what they want, for our bonds to be shattered."

Every cat exchanged a guilty glance, only Graystripe stared at his old friend straight in the eye.

"What are we going to do Firestar? The killer is someone in this camp, and look whats happened! My mate and brother are both dead, both of them! The mother of my kits was slaughtered!" he broke down in agony, Bumblepaw, Briarpaw and Blossompaw rushing to his aid.

Firestar's heart was wrenching to see his friend in such a state, but there was one thing he could do about it, one thing to end this chaos. Leaping down from his rock, Firestar headed towards the thorn tunnel, intent on stopping all of this.

"Where are you going?" the guard on duty, Foxleap asked curiously.

Firestar didn't turn to answer the young warrior, "I'm going to end this once and for all."

All those moons of training valuable warriors, teaching young eager apprentices everything about the warrior code, and raising kits who played with the warriors, it was all just going to be shattered like this?

"Not If I have anything to do about it" he growled, no one messed with Firestar's clan and got away with it.

Looking on the rain soaked forest floor, the ginger leader noticed paw prints sunken into its depths. Someone had come this way, but the question that was lurking deep in Firestar's mind, was who?

As the storm raged on above the ginger leader's head, Firestar became totally oblivious to what was just below his paws. He just assumed that what he was feeling was the wet rain water, but it wasn't.

A trail of blood drops was spread in a thin line across the forest floor, and only a few fox-lengths ahead was a body.

_I wonder if this is the killer, or another victim. _He wondered, not yet knowing the reality of who's body it was. The fur would have normally been a light brown color, but with the rain, was drenched almost black.

Turning the body over with a forepaw, Firestar almost threw up in disgust.

"Oh great StarClan" he stumbled backwards in complete shock, the body was Leafpool!

"My poor kit" he pressed his muzzle into her soaked fur. Firestar felt like a kit again, wanting to to hide someplace safe and dry, where everything was safe and no dangers lurked.

Ferncloud had once told him after Hollykit and Larchkit died, that there was nothing worse in the world, than losing your own kit. Firestar hadn't realized how true she was, he would have happily given up his life for Leafpool to live.

In between memories of his daughter as a kit, Firestar noticed fur in between her un-sheathed claws.

_Her attacker! _Could it be that Leafpool had snagged some of her attackers fur when she was being killed? Leaning in closer, Firestar's eyes widened as he identified the fur.

"It can't be!" he exclaimed, "Hollyleaf's dead!".

But there was no other rational explanation, the fur was as black as his granddaughters, and it definitely held her scent. _Her scent. _It all came flooding into Firestar. Hollyleaf was the one doing all of this, she felt betrayed by her own clan, the warrior code.

"She has to be stopped" he realized sadly.

Hollyleaf may have been his granddaughter once, but this cat most certainly wasn't related to him. Taking another sniff of the snagged fur, Firestar turned towards the direction of her scent, and began to track his daughter.

For awhile he followed the scent, until finally it stopped.

"There you are" he narrowed his green eyes with anger, Hollyleaf was talking in a small clearing, with Jayfeather.

_She's going to kill him to! Hollyleaf's going to kill her own brother! _Firestar's pulse raced with alarm as she moved towards the blind Medicine Cat. _I have to save him! If its the last thing I do! _

With a battle cry, Firestar launched himself straight at Hollyleaf's back side, and hit her head with tremendous force. The she-cat didn't even know what was coming, as her skull knocked into the small boulder next to her, knocking her out instantly.

Blood spotted the rock, rippling next to Hollyleaf. Firestar sighed, it was finally over, everything would be okay now.

"Your safe Jayfeather" he meowed happily, turning to face his grandson.

With a flash he only saw gray fur, as teeth sunk into Firestar's neck. The leaders blood drained fast, as his final life faded away into StarClan. Jayfeather held Firestar for a short moment, making sure he died quickly.

And then dropping the body, he turned to Hollyleaf, pressing his ear against her body.

"Still breathing" he sighed happily, turning to drag her by the scruff back to camp. "Come on" Jayfeather growled, "We have a lot of work to do."

* * *

Hollystar smiled as Sunlight sparkled through the tree leaves, warming her pitch black pelt as she stood atop the Highrock. Leaf-fall had come rather quickly for the leader, ever since earning her nine lives in New-Leaf.

ThunderClan didn't really have a choice as to who would be the next leader, Jayfeather had told them StarClan made their choice and it was Hollystar. She made sure to give her brother the best apprentice, even though Icecloud's daughter Blazepaw wanted to be a warrior, she soon changed her mind.

"The hunting patrol's back" a voice whispered.

Hollystar turned to look at her bright silver tabby deputy, who was looking proudly onto ThunderClan.

"Good" she meowed, as Bumblebee and Blossompetal padded into camp, their mouths full with prey. "Ivypool can you asks Blazepaw and Wraithpaw to bring it to the elders?" she asked nicely.

"Of course" her deputy dipped her head, leaping down to order the two apprentices to bring fresh-kill into the elders den.

Hollystar knew she made a wise choice making Ivypool deputy. After all the two shared the same longing to heal the clans, and both knew what revenge felt like. Oh yes Ivypool got her revenge as well.

She gave her sister Dovepaw a long scar across her face, so no tom or anyone will ever look at her the same way again.

"Hollystar I found a mouse I thought you would like" a meow came from the exact fluffy gray warrior she was thinking about.

Hollystar jumped down to inspect the mouse, it was plump, just the way she liked it. "Thank you Dovescar" she bowed her head, "Now why don't you go and search Sandstorm and Graystripe for ticks."

Without looking her leader in the eye, the deformed warrior padded over to the elders den, her tail in between her legs. Personally Hollystar liked Dovescar, but if Ivypool hated her that much, than so be it.

Looking across the camp, Hollystar smiled as Cinderheart's kits flew out of the nursery. Kits were the future of the clans, and ThunderClan certainly had a lot of them.

Poppyfrost and Whitewing both moved back to the nursery, expecting kits within the moon.

"Hi Hollystar!" one dark brown tom mewed.

His sisters Falconkit and Saffronkit came bounding towards Chicorykit, the one silver kit throwing a mouse into her brother.

"Falconkit!" Hollyleaf meowed sternly, "Never play with fresh-kill again, hasn't your mother taught you anything?". Falconkit shrunk back, as Saffronkit and Chicorykit huddled close together.

Her green eyes blazing, Hollystar moved forward to look all three of the kits in their eyes.

"What is code four of the warrior code?".

Instantly Chicorykit raised his paw in the air, as Hollystar nodded for him to answer. "Prey is only killed to be eaten, Give StarClan thanks for its life" he meowed, pronouncing every word slowly for accuracy.

Hollystar smiled, "Good. Now do you know why we don't play with prey Falconkit? That mouse gave up its life to feed the clan, and it should be respected."

The kit nodded, reciting the code silently in her head to remember it. Hollystar made it a rule in ThunderClan, than by their second moon, every kit must know all 15 of the warrior codes by heart.

Luckily for Falconkit they were only a moon old.

Suddenly a growl sounded from the thorn-tunnel, and instantly Hollystar looked up to see what was going on. Spiderleg and Berrynose were dragging a cat through the tunnel, Hollystar's heart lurched as she saw who it was, Lionblaze.

"What is the meaning of this?" she growled to the two warriors, who were fighting to keep Lionblaze under grasp.

"We caught him on the WindClan border" Berrynose spat, "He was talking to that she-cat Heathertail."

Hollystar lowered her eyes in disappointment, she thought when Lionblaze took Icecloud as his mate, that the visits would have stopped.

"Is this true?" she bent down to look her golden brother in the eye. Lionblaze struggled underneath the two warriors grasps, and looked at his sister pleadingly.

"I was only there to congratulate her!" he spat, "Heathertail's expecting Breezepelt's kits. You can't honestly believe that I was there for any other reason!".

"It doesn't matter what reason you were there for!" she growled, "Crossing another clans border is strictly against the warrior code! How can life go on when cats like you just break them on a daily basis?".

There was only one thing that could be done for Lionblaze, and no matter how much Hollystar loved her brother, it had to be done.

"Take him to the trench" she ordered Berrynose and Spiderleg. "You'll spend the next moon in there with the rats, maybe then you'll see that clan borders are there for a reason."

Lionblaze's eyes widened in shock, "You can't do this!" he screamed, "I'm your brother Hollyleaf! You can't do this to me, I have a mate and kits!".

His yowls were drowned out by the two warriors dropping him into the trench, which was nearly nine fox-lengths high. Hollystar turned her back to her punished brother, and smiled at the rest of the clan.

There was nothing more important than the warrior code being upheld, _absolutely nothing. _


End file.
